1788 Barbados one penny. For very many years people have wondered why this coin seems to show a Plantation Slave wearing the Crown of the Prince of Wales! But what if it is a true likeness of the then Prince of Wales, Prince George Later King George IV?
See pictures (For information only). His mother Princess Caroline of Brunswick is said to have been of mixed race and a likeness of mother and son can be seen in the Bust. One other possibility is that the king's portrait was tweaked to be more acceptable to the people of Barbados. Certainly the Crown is that of the Prince of Wales with his emblem the Ostrich Feather.
So why is it the Princes head on the coin and not that of King George III. In 1788 King George III had his first bout of mental illness and his Son the Prince became Regent. Another historical mystery solved!